Recently, Warriors Against Fed Ed, I was looking through my State’s Legislative website. I thought I’d seen enough of the proposed bills linking NC (where I live) to the ESSA’s (Every Student Succeeds Act) overreach in state education. (*Note: if you missed that article )

However, there was one I missed. It’s called the “BRIGHT Futures Act”. It’s from the NC Senate, and is also S56. My fellow anti CCSS Warrior, Andrea Dillon, shared news and video of this Bill on the “American Lens” Facebook page. In the video, our Lt. Governor is waxing joyously about how a “Last Mile” for NC is about to be reached. What is he referring to?

Digital Connectivity and how it will help Rural Education

“Digital Connectivity” ties rural education to the CCSS Machine through aligned workforce based education as laid out in ESSA, HEA (Higher Education Act), and WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act).“Digital Connectivity” was also a huge portion of the U.S. House of Representative’s HR5 (Student Success Act).
I laid all this out for you in my previous article titled “ESSA and Digital Overload”. That article also helps us connect Rural Education to HR5 and “NC New Schools”. (*Note: the NC New Schools will lead to you to other States with rural education populations.)

You may recall, HR5 was the House’s version to re-authorize ESEA of 1965 (Elementary and Secondary Education Act). As a compromise, big parts of HR5 were taken and added to the U.S. Senate’s version of ESEA’s re-authorization, called “Every Child Achieves Act”, or S1177.

As we now know, S1177 is the Bill which survived and changed its name to ESSA to reflect all that ‘bi-partisan’ work from Congress.

The digital mandates are now coming to fruition. Conveniently completed from a State level with Bills such as “Bright Futures”.

Pausing For A Bit Of Reference:

Before we go on finding out how NC’s S65 is helping ESSA ‘set up shop’ in NC, let me say that I have no idea how many States have similar legislation. I have no clue how many NC State Leaders are pushing for all the ‘digital connectivity’ items they can get their hands on. However, I do know, that our State has a long history on jumping on the ‘fed ed’ bandwagon several times.

That NC has jumped on this bandwagon is no shocker. Why? NC was the first State to jump on board with Microsoft through their Microsoft IT Academy.

As we know, Microsoft is a huge digital, CCSS Machine organization. We know Bill Gates is Microsoft’s ‘guy’. We also know Gates is the one who signed an agreement with UNESCO for a one world curriculum, which grew into the CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative). We see the CCSSI in the pages of ESSA, too. Literally.*Note: In ESSA, we also see the name change from “CCSS” (Common Core State Standards) to its less ‘vile’ name, ‘College and Career Readiness’. ESSA’s writers like to use that phrase. Along with the even more innocent sounding “Challenging State Academic Standards”. ESSA’s writers also threw in the ‘Career Technical Education (CTE)’ phrase.

So, what have Microsoft and NC been up to more recently than 2010? This short You Tube video (2013) will introduce you to the “Imagine Academy”.

In 2016, NC and Microsoft made the news in connection with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF)Big Data Regional Hubs. There are 4 of these Hubs across the USA. NC is in the Southern Hub. (*Note: NSF is also a huge CCSS Machine member organization.)

Back To The ‘BRIGHT Futures’:

Above you see a screen shot of the 4 page S65 Bill (BRIGHT Futures Act)

You’ll also see I added some emphasis to Page 1 of S65. These items are very important clues to those of us fighting federally led education in ALL age groups.

While the legislators promoting this Bill are calling this a great thing for NC, here are the parts they either left out by omission (assuming they have no idea how vast the CCSS Machine’s grip on workforce education is) OR by design.

a) P3s (Public-Private Partnerships) in education have created a disgrace to the classical, academic basis our students need.

b) Workforce based education, especially in adult populations ties back to WIOA and HEA, espically through the one-stop-job-centers here in NC. Called “NCWorks” it is a direct product of WIOAstate grant money awarded to NC. Why? WIOA grant money given to ANY State has an underlying purpose: using the job center data to ‘marry’ with the student data to create a seamless Career Tech/Career Pathway education! It is the ‘perfect’ setup. The student data, as we know, comes from the Dept. of Education; likewise, the job data comes from the Dept. of Labor. Both happen at the Federal level AND the State level!!

c) Making improvements in your State for better education/access to shouldn’t come about as a by-product of your economy. Those improvements should never place the importance of money over our students. Using a phrase like ‘all means necessary’ is also a big warning.

d) Governor appointed positions spell bad news for the State citizens, regardless of what Council or Committee it is. Special interests are vastly protected with these appointments.

e) Near the bottom of Page 1 (Line 27), “School Connectivity Initiative and Digital Learning Plan” are inserted. The SCI (School Connectivity Initiative) has been around a few years. Here’s what is does, “The NC School Connectivity Initiative (SCI) compliments the E-rate program in North Carolina by providing state funding to cover the non-discounted portion of school connectivity-related charges. The SCI also provides a statewide network connecting all LEAs and most charter schools to the Internet, E-rate training and support, and network engineering services.” Source: Page 18 of the NC Digital Learning Plan (*Note: E-Rates are those small charges on your phone bill. They, too, can be traced back to the CCSS Machine. E-Rates basically are funds used to data mine your students.) According to the NC Digital Plan, at the bottom of Page 18, it is revealed the E-rates used for NC are based on Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

The NC Digital Plan also is part of the CCSS Machine’s plan for continued alignment in education. How do I know this? CCSS Machine member, The Friday Institute, is the one which published the detailed Plan in 2015. Among the Plan’s pages is the factother States using Digital Learning Plans were used as models for NC. The roots for NC’s Digital shift in education go back to 1999. The CCSS Machine entered the digital push about the time Race to the Top surfaced.
To see and read the entire NC Digital Plan: nc-digital-learning-detailed-plan-9-14-15

“Innovation in Education: Students need access to modern technology to prepare them for a 21st century economy. Every student should have one-to-one devices (computers, laptops, tablets, etc.) in their North Carolina classroom. As Chairman of the Governor’s eLearning Commission and member of the State Board of Education’s Special Committee on Digital Learning, Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest is actively working to provide Wi-Fi access to every K – 12 classroom in the state. Though North Carolina leads the way in our effort to extend broadband Internet access to every public school, the next step is to expand that infrastructure to reach every public school classroom and put one-to-one devices in the hands of the students.”

I would urge any of you with proven research as to how digital devices are so dangerous in the hands of our youngest learners or how too much screen time is dangerous for any age student, to please contact the Lt. Governor and every one of the S65 Sponsoring Legislators.

If you missed why ‘school choice’ is an anti Fed Ed Warrior’sconflict:

As far as top-down digital legislation or programs containing digital learning and related to ESSA, or now codified within, America has:
Digital Promise
Digital Promise Neighborhoods
i3 Initiative
ConnectED
Digital Innovation Upgrades or Creations (at least $849 million in funding is ear-marked)
REAP (Rural Education Achievement Program) (Will impact Title One funding, use $1.6 billion in tax payer funds for ‘rigorous’ education including all technology, ramp up the STEM Master Corps, and more.)Community Schools (can also include 21st Century Community Learning Centers)

Closing:

So, pardon me, if I’m not seeing such a BRIGHT NC Future. What I do see is a NC committeed more to the federal government than to its citizens. I urge all of you who live in rural counties and states, use this article as an example of what is going on right under our noses to align everyone in education to the same thing!

We all know that the CCSS Machine is sparing no expense to grab onto our student’s personal information, today’s post will highlight this particular company’s foray into the educational world.

What “Learn Sprout’s” All About:

According to their website, they are here to help us all with school data. That’s one thing because, in these times, data is rather abundant. Where we anti CCSS warriors are concerned is HOW that data is used; whom it is sold to or shared with; and other CCSS bonuses gained from possession of sensitive facts. If you look at the mission statement it seems fairly harmless, but we’ll be looking further into the company than simply its mission statement. “Our mission is to help K-12 educators use data to understand the past, analyze the present, and anticipate the future.” Okay, not too informative, but its what companies and advisors “Learn Sprout” relies on that is the bigger concern to me as an anti Common Core warrior. For example, one of “Learn Sprout’s” is “Power School” as in Pearson Publishing’s data miner. Another “Code for America”. I’ve written quite a bit about the ties to coding (computer programming) and Common Core. Here’s the link for all those articles: https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/?s=coding

“Code for America”:

So, in a nutshell can I tell you what “Code for America” is? Sure, I can! For instance, their 2011 Annual Report tagged the effort as ‘a new kind of public service’. If you look very closely at the report, you’ll begin to notice just how data is being harvested, where it’s been used, and what organizations are funding this. Common Core supporters such as “Google”, “Microsoft”, and the “Rockerfeller Foundation”, among others. Back in 2013, “Watchdog Wire” reported how the data mining, Common Core, and foundations such as Rockerfeller’s (and others) are making huge bucks off our kid’s data. See: http://watchdogwire.com/florida/2013/08/08/data-mining-using-common-core-cha-ching-cha-ching/ To access “Code for America’s” report: http://www.codeforamerica.org/2011-annual-report/2011_CfA_Report.pdf

While this may not sound so bad, consider this: one of the 5 kingpin agenda items for “CfA” is ‘changing people and practices’. See the screen shot below:

On the website (https://www.learnsprout.com/ews) you’ll find the false argument for ‘closing the skills gap’ that’s been so overused by the CCSS Machine. You’ll see how “LS” has an ‘early warning system” available for use in regards to the skills gap.
Excuse me, are we discussing students or weather systems here? I don’t need an early warning system for my school, I need care and concern for my students. Early warnings are more suited for impending weather emergencies and the like, but NOT people!! (*Note: Many researchers and/or publications have presented all kinds of evidence about the “skills gap”. If you conduct an internet search, you’ll find several credible articles which state those seeking to reform education have skewed the information to create a big mess. Business say education is to blame for the not-skilled-enough-workers; education counters with not-enough-jobs. It’s a mess.In the meantime, we, the warriors can easily get side-tracked about skills OR no skills..all the while the CCSS Machine churns on with its P3, public-private partnership overreach into our students lives. We MUST not be swayed!) You’ll also find the “College Readiness” can be at your disposal with the company. (see: https://www.learnsprout.com/product) The “CR” will take your student’s data and turns it into action items for their future. Wow…that’s a comfort for us as parents, isn’t it? NOT! My child’s performance data on assessments, etc. shouldn’t be used against them! While the site claims to have honorable intentions, I can’t trust that when I know Pearson and others supporting CCSS are somehow involved. Their track records speak another message to me. As far as the student data, the LS company has a ‘snazzy video’ about transparency, but again, consider what companies LS partners with. Companies known to abuse student data. Here’s their video clip:

Notice, that throughout this website and all I’ve presented so far, you’ve not seen or heard Common Core. However, I’ve shown you ways in which LS is tied to CCSS. I’m not done yet……

Those 21st Century Tones:

Having researched so much about all that’s connected to CCSS, the undertones of so much 21st Century agenda got me a bit curious. Could Learn Sprout be a part of the P21 movement? Wait, what’s the P21? Oh, great question! P21 is short for “Partnership for 21st Century Skills”. I’ve written quite a few articles about just HOW P21 is devoted to Common Core. Here’s the link to each of the articles: https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/?s=p21 (*Note: you’ll really want to take the time to read each of these as there are many of the same ‘players’ in P21 as Code for America and/or Learning Sprouts). If you want to see which companies have aligned themselves to P21: “Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Inc., The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP), Crayola, Dell, Inc., EdLeader21, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Ford Motor Company Fund, GlobalScholar, Goddard Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, Knovation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, LEGO Group, Mosaica Education, National Academy Foundation, National Education Association, Pearson, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, Wireless Generation, Verizon Foundation, and VIF International Education.” (To see the article from which this excerpt is from {details how P21 is behind Next Generation Science Standards},https://computinged.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/disappointing-support-for-new-nrc-framework-for-science-standards-from-p21/ )

This is a special Fib-o-Meter Friday for those of us opposed to Common Core Standards and all that goes with them. Come along with me as we look at the truths, fallacies, and other mutterings from the Council of Chief State School Officers from this past week’s gathering.

It’s Friday, you know what that means! Time to measure what’s truth, what’s fallacy/fib or what’s in between.

Set Your Minds:

In order to frame this article in the proper context, I would ask that you try to remember an 80s song called “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen. There’s one line that suits the CCSSO’s grasp on not only American Education, but our entire American set of values, ways of life, and how we live them.

“You’re mine tonight. Now I’ve got you in my sights.”

The Evidence:

Fib-o-Meter’s first set of evidence for the CCSSO’s power grab will be for the children. See the screen shot below:

While your kids may be in their sights, WE are watching them!

Yes, warriors, it’s “Total Truth”, at least in their plans to have our kids achieving the ‘collective good’. What other evidence can we find to support this? Let’s see….from the CCSSO President Dr. June Atkinson’s prepared remarks in her address to her underlings in the CCSSO, the following excerpt, “In North Carolina, for example, we have a statewide technology platform called Home Base. This comprehensive technology system incorporates student information, a parent portal, instructional improvement, educator evaluation and professional development tools all in one place.” Yes, it’s the “Total Truth” that “Home Base” is in use. BUT, what wasn’t shared was the fact that Pearson Publishing runs the platform. So, all that student data gets mined through Home Base! Data that is VERY private about NC’s students! Data that goes to a wide variety of ‘customers’.
If you’d like to see my article on NC’s Governor’s Teacher Network (which goes into more detail about “Home Base”, as well as CCSSO’s tie to the companies behind it, see: https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/wybi-the-gtn-of-north-carolina/)

Need a bit more evidence? May I offer the following: Pearson’s ‘Power School’ which is a portion of the “Home Base”, has turned out to be a resounding dud in NC, but that “Total Truth” wasn’t mentioned in the CCSSO address. To get the rest of THAT story, see: http://ladyliberty1885.com/2014/11/11/pearsons-powerschool-redefines-epic-fail-in-nc/. Be sure to access her links in the article. There are first person accounts of just how far the data trail goes.
If you want to see how “Home Base” and “Power School” are connected, see: homebasepresentation

If you’d like to see the CCSSO’s real agenda for your students, be sure to check out their priorities as tied into HR5 (Student Success Act or the re-authorization of ESEA). First on the list: assessments! See: ESEAKeyProvisions

Fib-o-Meter’s Second Bit of Evidence:

This, also from the prepared statements of Dr. Atkinson, “Speaking of progress, it is important note that for the first time in our nation’s history, we have a shared set of rigorous and relevant learning standards.” Now, she does go on to explain the exceptions to the statement (like a few states have since decided to use other standards, some elected to NOT use CCSS in the first place). “Total Fallacy”, President Dr. Atkinson! Research has proven the CCSS is NOT rigorous, students are bearing out the fact the Standards aren’t even relevant! Good grief. Interestingly enough however, see what showed up on Twitter that shows you how the Chief of the Chiefs really feels! See the screen shot:

To see the Tweets connected to the CCSSO Legislative Session, which cover the push for re-authorizing the ESEA (HR5, or Student Success Act) to meeting with Congress, Sec. Duncan, and more drama than a bad soap opera, use the “CCSSOLeg” handle next time you log on to Twitter.

Fib-o-Meter’s Third Item for Today:

Grabbing and shaping the leaders is also a big part of the CCSSO’s hunger. What do I mean? I found a 2012 document of a 3 prong, pro-CCSS task force where the findings are to be used from the SEAs (State Education Agent) level all the way to the LEAs (Local Education Agent)! The 3 prong force? That’s easy. The CCSSO, the NGA (remember, both own one half each of the CCSS) and the NASBE (National Association of State Boards of Education). I recently wrote about NASBE and just how sold out to CCSS they are. Gates Foundation funding has helped them further align their design for education. See: https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/2015/02/14/sic-em-saturday-do-you-know-nasbe/

As far as the SEAs and LEAs, I’m including the entire Task Force Report for your research. Suffice it to say CCSSO believes it is their ‘responsibility and promise’ to ensure EVERY student is college/career ready AND that those teaching will be in total alignment with the process. See their report: Our Responsibility Our Promise_2012. For the CCSSO to assume every student’s future is their responsibility/promise is “Total Fallacy”. How presumptuous can one organization be?!

Before we move on, I did find one interesting document from the CCSSO archives from 2006 about the SEAs/LEAs role in controlling assessment data. Now, while I know systems have been updated, the document has a 5 year plan, which means 2011. About the time CCSS hit us. Various states and what works best for them are highlighted, data flow systems are described, and more. If you want a good idea of the recent past in your states education assessment tracking, this is a good resource. See: http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2006/Validity_Threats_Detection_2006.pdf (*NOTE: the CCSSO has an entire collection of resources to increase SEAs/LEAs via more of them and how they are to operate. For example AND still being offered as a great resource on their website is the 2010 SCEL (State Consortium on Education Leadership; a part of CCSSO) report about increasing district leadership. Included is partnering with others to increase effectiveness. See: SCEL_Draft_Toolkit_2010)

The Collective Aspect of CCSSO’s Hunger:

Lastly, the Fib-o-Meter offers you the “Total Truth”of how vested CCSSO is in ‘collective’/’greater good’, etc.
Look at their partners, their joint projects. The most telling example is with “Knowledge Works”. As I’ve shared with you before the the ‘community cradle to career’ movement is not only strong, but already growing across America. Totally social minded in that the community must be ‘all in’. Totally aligned with the agenda of CCSSO’s ‘responsibility/promise’ rhetoric. If you’ve not seen the CCSSO partner page, you really should. http://www.ccsso.org/Who_We_Are/Business_and_Industry_Partnerships/Corporate_Partners.html

Fib-o-Meter gives you a bonus “Total Truth”for the CCSSO’s collective, aligned, maligned, college/career ready CCSS. To date the Gates Foundation has granted the CCSSO $90,789,605.00!! Including the development of CCSS curriculum which is available through Common Core, Inc.! See all 22 grants, http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=CCSSO
****************************************************************************

A Personal Note:

As many of you may know, I am a full time care taker to my mom since her diagnosis with a terminal disease earlier this year. That said, my Diva family and I will be gathering this weekend to celebrate her birthday. I am looking forward to joining my warrior family (that’s you) back on Monday, March 30th.

How about a cradle to career conference? The CCSSO’s (Council of Chief State School Officers) partners of Knowledge Works and Strive Together are hosting one soon! Common Core is sure to be there!

The Conference:

Titled, “Exploring Communities Convening” and will be held in late March 2015. For the two days (tickets go for anywhere between $500-800 a piece)you’ll get up close look at why your community should align itself to the Cradle to Career Network. Where will this be held? Indianapolis, IN. Who’s leading this CC laden 2 day event? The staff of “Strive Together”. To see the conference agenda: http://www.strivetogether.org/sites/default/files/2015-Exploring-Convening-Agenda-at-a-Glance.pdf

Who/What is “Strive Together”?:

In case you weren’t a follower of mine back in 2014, I’ll provide my original article about not only “ST” (Strive Together) but Knowledge Worksas well. Both are partners of the CCSSO (Council of Chief State School Officers); co-copyright owners of the CCSS. (see: https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/fom-friday-knowledgeworks-or-knowledge-quirks/) You’ll also want to see the Prevent Common Core article I wrote on them as well from late 2014: http://preventcommoncore.com/?p=1247

2) http://ladyliberty1885.com/2014/10/24/the-ccsso-unc-nc-and-india/ (*Note, you’ll be able to connect some more dots when you finish this article)

The Communities:

In the picture below, you’ll be able to see the current network of aligned communities involved in this radical agenda for our nation. Why would I say radical? Their two guides you can receive in the mail (at least you could in 2014). One is titled “2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning” (a joint publication with Knowledge Works and Institute for the Future) and “Knowledge Works Forecast 3.0: Recombinant Education, Regenerating the Learning Ecosystem”. (*Note: in my previously published article from above, you can get a more information about both publications.)

A network of communities more aligned than they may know.

So, what do these communities align to? A collective community wide infrastructure. Here’s just one of the pillars, straight from their website:

Cradle to Career Vision & Scope – A vision for improving education outcomes for students beginning at birth, continuing into and through secondary and into and through post-secondary schooling until they secure a meaningful career.

Want to see the rest? Click on the picture below:

I’ve included the 2014 ForsythPromise Annual Report so you can see up close what a “ST” aligned community does. Forsyth County is in North Carolina. In fact, it is the only NC city to be in Cradle to Career Network. When you access this Report, you’ll see alot of the CCSS buzzwords (ie: rigorous standards, college/career ready, etc.) BUT you won’t see CCSS named specifically. In fact, the only reference to CCSS I could get from “ST”‘s website was the director’s participation in a panel discussion where CCSS was one of many topics. But, as we’ve learned in our anti CCSS fight, just because you don’t see it on the surface doesn’t mean it’s not there. It means you have to look closer. (the Report: Promise-Report-Web )

It’s Friday, you know what that means! Time to measure what’s truth, what’s fallacy/fib or what’s in between.

Just released from the Common Core Standards laden group, Foundation for Excellence in Education, is a report titled (and this is NO joke) “Turn and Face the Strain”. The report is a true ‘gloom, doom, and we’ll all perish UNLESS we adhere to FEE’s way of aligning education’..This one’s going to be good, so, let’s crank up the Fib-o-Meter, shall we??!!

The Website Address:

You’ll want to download the reports, I’m sure, so here’s the official website for all things Strained, http://excelined.org/FaceTheStrain/

The Truth?! Are You Kidding Me?!

Before we begin the Fib-o-Meter, let’s take a couple of minutes to see the 2 foundations behind this ‘grinding, binding, and trying to frighten us’ report. First up, Foundation for Excellence in Education. If you’ve been following the CCSS saga long, you’ll know that Jeb Bush is responsible for this organization AND is a huge voice FOR Common Core! The other foundation is the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. According to their website they state school choice is their stance. That stance includes private schools, homeschools, however, look at the graphic they use:

If you haven’t clicked on the picture above to enlarge it, you’ll miss the ‘smoking’ pro CCSS gun: “ESAs”. How do I know this? When you type in “Education Savings Account Common Core” into your general internet search bar, the results are astounding. Credible groups, one after another, have written how this ‘false choice’ is NO choice BUT CCSS. (for example, see these 2 stories:http://dailysignal.com/2014/12/20/why-even-common-core-supporters-are-changing-their-minds/ OR http://www.educationviews.org/establishment-educators-maintaining-pro-common-core-position/ )

That brief look at the groups behind the report should help you understand the agenda behind the report. Even the title of the report is designed to be incite a fear tactic. I guess they think the CCSS bandwagon is parked outside our doors, ready to swoop us up and carry us away. Sorry, Foundations for CC, not today, you don’t!

Fib-o-Meter, Take One:
One of the first sentences from the Strain that we’ll pull through the Fib-o-Meter is this one,

‘fierce battle looming between the needs of public health care and education’ I have a question for you..did you know we have a fierce battle between the two topics?? I didn’t think we did. I mean we know both are important issues BUT a battle?? This one gets a ‘Total Fallacy’ just for the appeal to fear logic. What IS “Total Truth” about healthcare and education IS that via CCSS they are united. It’s hard to have a fierce battle when you’re on the same team, now isn’t it? Dr. Duke Pesta and Mary Black do an excellent job of tying the two together in the presentation from Freedom Education Project

Here’s the next sentence the Fib-o-Meter will measure:‘A crisis is fast approaching that makes comprehensive improvement of America’s public schools more important than ever.’ Yes, another statement that forecasts dire doom for us all IF we don’t reform, reform! “Total Fallacy” for the appeal to fear (again). A related “Total Fallacy”that has been misrepresented AND exposed is the jobs for those graduates who will be caring for an aging population. “Restore the GED Fairness” has at least 2 great articles about HOW we’ve been mislead with those U.S. Dept. of Labor unemployment numbers. (it creates the illusion we’re worse off as a nation than we truly are). Here’s one of the articles, http://restoregedfairness.org/latest-news/32-common-core-and-the-pearson-vue-ged-an-economic-con-job From their “Latest News” page, this graphic:

Census Bureau data..yes, all that data. What’s worthy of the Fib-o-Meter is that this report relies so heavily on data presented as hard evidence for reform, reform and more reform! Think about it. Our last US Census was 2012. Those numbers were hit with tons of controversy over their factual existence. So, suddenly I’m to trust the data from the Census because it was in this report?! (see: http://nypost.com/2013/11/18/census-faked-2012-election-jobs-report/)

So (and I’m guessing here) that by the report using 2010 data in their large printed paragraphs and blurbs to get your attention is to help you feel better about the 2012 data NOT being used. But then, the report says it’s using other years of data to..all to make the ‘facts’ and ‘figures’ add up to their agenda.

On page 17, 2005’s data is introduced. Here’s an excerpt, “The 2005 Census Interim Projection forecasts an increase in population ages 5-17 of 8.4 million and 11.3 million for ages under 18 between 2010 and 2030. The more recent Census Bureau 2012 National Population Projection forecasts that the country will gain more than 4.6 million residents age 5 to 17 and 5.4 million age under 18 during that same time period.”

The Fib-o-Meter doesn’t take kindly to smoke and mirrors, fact twisting, or the like. The point of the “Fallacy”by the data is simply this: your most recent past figures should be the ones used, not bits and pieces from several years and then continuing to feature only one year as your ‘projection base’ (ie: 2010 figures projected to the year 2030)

Fib-o-Meter’s Fifth Measure:

Read this excerpt: ‘Regardless of which of these projections ultimately proves more accurate, millions more students will be hitting American classrooms. Given the challenges looming with the elderly, it seems safe to say that K-12 education faces huge challenges as well.’

From this point in the report, the rhetoric shifts a bit to the massive amount of state debt we’ll see surrounding education spending. Add to that all the elder care money, and we’re all sailing down the creek without our proverbial paddle. The “Total Truth” of this excerpt is yes, many students will be in American classrooms. Does that mean it has to be the CCSS classroom, though?? NO! Again, more ‘Total Truth’ about Common Core, there are several U.S. Federal Agencies hooked into the Core, the top three: U.S. Dept. of Education; U.S. Dept. of Labor AND the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services!! Of course they findings, reports, and resources all point to the ‘fierce battle’! If these departments can divide us in a false battle, we’ll be easier to be distracted about what’s going on. We must be attentive in our fight against Common Core. Don’t just take one side’s information and assume it stops there!

How do I know the 3 are co-joined? Refer to the 2015 Federal budget articles presented above. If you’ve already read those, here are 2 more from “Prevent Common Core” website, http://preventcommoncore.com/?p=1187 (titled “Common Core and the Workforce”) and http://preventcommoncore.com/?p=1201 (titled “More Common Core and the Workforce”)

The Report Goes Downhill Still:

As if, by now, you haven’t had enough Fib-o-Meter detecting, I’ll leave the rest of the report for you to dive into. Note though, that it’s from the above points to the conclusion that the mindset you are to glean is one of ‘we must act now’! How do they try to sell it? Minds-are-horrible-to-waste, our-system-is-flat-lined-in-education, our-global-competition-game-needs-some-moxy, we-must-rely-on-the-twisted-NAEP-scale-to-measure-our-schools, and more.“Total Fallacy” enough to keep your Fib-o-Meter churning for hours.

As we shut down the Fib-o-Meter for another week, please know that I do understand we have many problems in America that do need serious attention. Education is at the top of the list. Certainly caring for our families is of even more importance than education. At least from my backyard view, it is. However, I cannot understand how aligning all that we do and all of whom we are is the sensible solution. We must remember that CCSS is a violation of our U.S. Constitution! We must realize our federal government has already so grossly abused its power in BOTH healthcare and education that the fierce battle isn’t between education and healthcare, it’s between a country and her people. It’s us against Common Core. The battle IS there, the warriors ARE here, but let’s be frank Foundations who created this report: you didn’t speak the truth about WHERE the battle lies! So, they want to turn the tide to CC, we can turn the tide AGAINST CC!

Thank you for joining me last night as I went in-depth on the topic of a CCSS aligned work force. It is my hope you were able to glean helpful information to aid your battle in your state. ‘Women on the Wall’ archives each call, so if you missed anything, you can access it from their website.

NC, Bound for “Workforce Destiny”:

Commission on Workforce Development Strategic Plan 2014-16 I’m leading off my post for today with my state’s Report for how it is planning on carrying out Workforce training. Yes, involved in the thick of it, is Common Core, Career Pathways, and lots of other connecting ties. In this report, you’ll learn the name of the Commission which makes the Workforce related decisions THEN advises the General Assembly and our Governor. You’ll discover their ‘master plan’ which includes data mining.

You’ll get to see which groups at state level are partnering to align NC. Those involved according to this report? The Dept. of Administration(NC DOA), the Dept. of Commerce(NC DOC), the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services(NC DHHS), and finally, the North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction.

What’s interesting is that the NC Dept. of Public Instruction is under the authority of the General Assembly which is contained in our Legislative Branch. Contrast that with those private schools, and homeschools which are under the guidance of the Dept. of Non Public Instruction(NC DNPE), which is in the Dept. of Administration. Community colleges, public colleges and universities are also housed in the Dept. of Administration. What about the Dept. of Commerce? It too, is in the Dept. of Administration. As far as the proprietary post secondary schools(for profit schools such as Nascar Tech, DeVry, etc.? They are housed with the NC Community College System(NCCCS). Charter schools depending on their status us ‘public’ or ‘private’ would be respectively, NC DPI and NC DNPE.

Note where Career and Technical Education is housed. The NC DPI (Dept. of Public Instruction). Which answers to the NC General Assembly, in the Legislative Branch.

According to the Report from our Workforce Commission, lots and lots of money from the federal level and the state level has been poured into aligning. (see page 4 of the Report).

Apprenticeships(which are a ‘new’ hot item for aligning workforces) will also be receiving big bucks and are in the NC DOC, $1,604,447.00;

Workforce alignment money is also under the Displaced Homemakers, $289,670.00;

the American Indian Workforce Development Program, $247,991.00 (both in the NC DOA);

Veterans(NC DOC), $5,446,000.00

Customized Training (NC DOC), $23,587,840.00

So, why would I share all these figures? Simply put, they all involve post secondary instruction. Instruction that will be provided by vocational schools, community colleges, vocational schools, proprietary schools, colleges, and universities.

So where’s the ‘Common Core’?

Excellent question. In my opinion, because CCSS is such a toxic brand name, we’ve seen how companies, states, and others have rushed to re-brand it. However, in most of the items I’ve seen connected to the Workforce legislation, your key words are NOT ‘Common Core’, BUT Career Pathways or Career Clusters. It’s assumed you, the citizen, wouldn’t know the difference, nor would you be interested. How wrong those powers that be are! One of the guiding principles for NC’s Workforce Commission is:

“The workforce system will focus on target industries and career clusters.”

Goal #1: Streamlining must occur!

“The commission recognizes that North Carolina’s public workforce development system is a key part of the state’s economy. It is comprised of a variety of programs with a broad range of activities that serve a diverse group of people. It includes a group of interactive and interdependent entities, programs, and services. Activities range from self-service activities online, to staff assisted services in a workforce office, to multi-year training programs at a public school or community college. In addition, programs serve people with varying levels of education, employment experience, and barriers. Individuals may participate in a single program or activity or may be eligible to receive services through a variety of programs and entities. The system exists to help businesses find qualified workers to meet their present and future workforce needs and to help individuals gain the skills and training they need to obtain and maintain employment.” How is all this to be accomplished?

 ‘Align partner services and strategies. Develop a common brand to be used across workforce programs that is recognizable to all customers. Increase awareness of and accessibility to workforce services. Develop shared marketing strategies that promote the talent in North Carolina.’

Goal #2: More of Goal #1, but leading up to Goal #3. Basically we MUST have economic (the Great Recession of 2007) prowess again. Workforce will get us there.

Goal #3: Education, our Way, Not Yours:

How it will be done:

 ‘Strengthen career development services and ensure consistency across programs. Enhance programs and enrollment in critical career clusters by targeting resources. Strategically coordinate programs among workforce partners to develop skill and education pathways. Become a national leader in providing structured work-based learning.’

Also included was more about the desperate need to streamline (Goal #1), to be relevant (part of Goal #2) and

‘it is essential for the state’s workforce programs to target its limited resources to careers in high-growth and emerging industries. Providing consistent information to individuals and strong programs in critical career clusters will not only help individuals find good-paying jobs, but it will also help businesses find the talent they need to growth their business.One of the best ways to help individuals gain skills and learn more about a career is through work-based learning. These programs combine classroom education with on-the-job experience and individuals gains valuable work experience while learning new skills.The commission recognizes the need for consistent information, a focus on high-growth and emerging industries, work-based learning opportunities, and it supports policies that shift our culture to one that embraces life-long learning.’

Goal #4: Data, You Got It, We Mine It:

This is the last of the 4 goals the NC Workforce Commission published. By far the most compromising..at least for the students who end up in the Workforce. The Report shares with you, the reader, that it used to the U.S. Department of Labor was the only one receiving Workforce data. But, as we know, that’s about to change. The U.S. WIOA 2014 (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014), as I’ve written about will take the U.S. Dept. of Ed’s Student Longitudinal Data System and merge with it. In some states it’s already happening. In others states, it’s just taking off, and in some states, it hasn’t begun yet. Workforce will be in all 50 states. So, if you state didn’t adopt CCSS, you’ll get in via Career Pathways or those Career Clusters.

Here’s the plan for pulling this off:
 ‘Develop a consistent and coordinated approach of identifying critical career clusters that workforce system partners will use to target resources to meet the needs of the economy. Gather, evaluate, and utilize information on the usage and quality of services. Measure and report on the effectiveness of the workforce development system.’

Justification for all this data? Accountability. Being accountable means rigorous measuring. Because if we can’t measure rigorously, how will we know that the Workforce is going to fit the agenda?

The last paragraph or two details how it’s the Commission who will plot, plan, and begin the chain of implementation in NC. They have the Governor’s ear. They have the General Assembly’s attention. It also involves Common Core.

So What About Your State?

Find out what the name of your Workforce Commission is. Find out who serves on it.

Discover their plan by finding their report. Do they answer directly to a particular branch of government or person?

Is there any voter say in the matter or is all this assigned? We, here in NC, get told what is up, there isn’t a vote about it.

Finally, remember, each Thursday, since I began my blog, there has been an article each week about CCSS post high school. I’ve got a brand new report to share next week that will undeniable confirm what some still deny…that CCSS isn’t post high school!

I love research. I always have and will continue to love it…especially when it leads me to so many off the beaten path locations where Common Core and Career Pathways intersect. Frankly, any place CC and post high school intersect. Why? Because we’ve been fed the line so often of how CC is only K-12! ‘Cow chips and bull feathers’!

Common Core: education’s cow chips

First stop, Work Force, 3 One:

If you’ve not heard of this particular program, it’s okay. As we have learned in researching the CCSS, we have come to know there are SO many MORE programs, initiatives, agendas, and departments involved in it, that almost daily, we’re finding something new.

This particular project (as I’ll call it) is from, the Dept. of Labor. However, like all the other Career Pathway, CTE (Career Tech Education), or Workforce programs, etc., they are also tied to the U. S. Dept. of Education using Common Core as their tool of choice. Recently, I shared much of my research with you on this very subject.

So why “Workforce 3 One” ? Let’s see if we can find out. Here’s a snippet from their website,“Workforce3 One, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is an on-line interactive communications and learning platform designed to build the capacity of the Workforce Investment System. Members include the public workforce system and its strategic partners, such as employers, Federal agencies, community- and faith-based organizations, and educators. Workforce³One supplements other technical assistance provided by the Employment and Training Administration’s national and regional staff to build the capacity of the workforce investment system to successfully meet the employment needs of America’s workforce and employers.” (see the rest: https://www.workforce3one.org/page/about).

Much like any of the connectors to CCSS, there’s a back story. This ‘WF3One’ is no different. In fact, it’s roots come from a Workforce Strategy Center’s “Building a Higher Skilled Workforce: Results and Implications from the BridgeConnect National Study”.

Support for the Study came from the Joyce Foundation, back in November 2010.

If you aren’t aware, bridge programs, as defined by the Study, “Bridge programs are a 21st-century idea for helping prepare low-skilled individuals for jobs that require more education. Known by many names—integrated education and training, contextualized learning, embedded skills—bridge programs assist students in obtaining academic, employability, and technical skills they need to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and training and the labor market”. The goal? Assisting the student in career track employment, employability, or postsecondary pursuits.

Supporting all this for at least a decade (remember, this was published as ‘new’ information back in 2010) were: Lumina Foundation for Education, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation from the private sector. From the U.S. Federal level, setting policies, U.S. Dept. of Ed, U.S. Dept. of Labor. From the state policy setting level, IL, TX, WI, WA, and others (not identified) were also key in moving this along.

Nine paths contained in more than any one of the 16 Career Clusters featured in ‘Common Career Technical Core’ (known as “CTE” for short) are named in the Study. For a refresher, those 16 Career Clusters are Agriculture (Food and Natural Resources), Architecture and Construction, Arts (including A/V Tech and Communications), Business Management and Administration, Education and Training, Finance, Government and Public Administration, Health Science, Hospitality and Tourism, Human Services, Information Tech, Law (Public Safety, Corrections and Security included), Manufacturing, Marketing, STEM (Science, Technology and Math), Transportation (includes Distribution and Logistics). Of the states participating, they reported community colleges and high schools were the biggest partners in helping create the bridges. The largest funding source, federal funds under the “Adult Education” (included Family Literacy, community colleges as well as K-12 schools).
To see the rest of the Study (bridge_connect_report_2010-11)

Next Stop, “Career Ladder” or “Competency Pyramid”?

Workforce 3 One is SO complete they have on-line tools for you to use to build your career..of course it will be aligned. The first one is the ‘CP’ or Competency Pyramid. The biggest portion of the pyramid is reserved for those things you’ll need to succeed in your school journey (which may involve several) or work and will require you to complete each of the 3 portions: personal effectiveness, academic and workplace competencies. The next set of levels, contains 2 portions of competencies: industry sector and industry-wide. Near the top contains 4 portions: occupational specific knowledge, occupational tech, occupational specific and management. To see how to ‘customize’ your pyramid, visit: http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/careerpathway/CPWGenInstructions.aspx

What if you prefer the ladder? Well, that tool bases itself off your pyramid. It details for you the differing jobs available to you in your cluster of career choice. Then, how viable the job will be (as in will always be needed, etc.), how much you’ll earn at said job, how many years or levels of schooling you’ll need. I’ve given you the link for the Healthcare Cluster (as that is the one field tying Affordable Health Care, Workforce, Common Core, and STEM together in a nice big bundle).

If you’ve not heard it before now, know that the GED has been aligned to the Common Core Standards as of 2014. Read about it from my fellow anti CCSS buddy, Lady Liberty1885, who posted the announcement back in July 2014.

The title of this study which is below, “Beyond the GED: Promising Models for Moving High School Dropouts to College” (published 2014, funded by another set of CCSS supporters, American Council on Education and MetLife Insurance (if you didn’t know “Snoopy’s” Company was into CCSS, here’s a link to my September 2014 article for Prevent Common Core‘s website: http://preventcommoncore.com/?p=1154))”

Named in this study are more bridge projects, as well as the attempt to align Adult Ed to CCSS.

I previously wrote about the community colleges aligning to CCSS, so any adult (remember, 22 or older) attending will be introduced to CC there.

However, it appears more Adult Ed aligning is still in the works (see page ES-6). Courses will be aligned to career tracks, as we well know by now. Where this study is a bit different is it also discusses those concurring credit bearing classes or courses all kinds of students take. OH, I’ve failed to mention that in my research based opinion, the title of the study is very presumptuous. NOT every student who takes the GED is a high school dropout. To suggest such is a sign of misinformation. There is so much in this report, you’ll need to read it for yourselves. Just know you’ll see MORE rigor, MORE streamlining, MORE aligning of outcome based education, and finally, MORE college/career readiness!

Next on the journey, P21:

This entity, Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a busy one. Recently, it’s been popping up almost everywhere I search high and low. Their contributing study for Workforce 3 One is called “21st Century Readiness for Every Child: A Policymaker’s Guide”. policymakersguide_final

Now, as best as I can tell this report was published in 2010. The rhetoric is ripe with suggestive language eluding to CCSS, but doesn’t name it outright. The cow chips picture from above would fit here nicely, because the level of fertilizer in this report is extremely worthy. Almost from the first word to the last one, the same worn out buzzwords we’ve heard about how we must compete globally, how we need to improve critical thinking and on and on. Be sure you check out the list of Partners:

To name a few well known offenders: Pearson, Scholastic, Crayola, Lego, Walt Disney, Dell.

Last stop, Carnegie Corporation of NY!

Yes, those of us familiar with CC know, sooner or later this company will surface. Here’s their contribution to helping align Workforce to Common Core. “Opportunity by Design: New High School Models for Student Success” First words, I kid you not, are about not only Common Core, but Next Generation Science Standards! (see: http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Programs/Opportunity_by_design/Opportunity_By_Design_FINAL.pdf) If you live in NY or NC, your state is featured as a success model for early college schools, of course, CC aligned. “The Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards offer school systems an historic opportunity to reshape themselves to support innovative school designs and replace today’s outmoded, industrial-model secondary schools.” It is further stated that the Standards (both CC and Next Gen) are catalysts for change. This report even uses the ‘pipeline’ reference for students. UGH! If you know anyone who needs more cow chips, load up with this one.

Need a makeover? This report has 10 suggested guidelines designed to makeover schools. I won’t mention all of them, so be sure you read the Report. You wouldn’t want to miss these guidelines: “Be porous and connected”, a fancy way to say community learning centers. “Develops and deploys collective strengths”, sorry, this sounds more like I’m in the military. You’ll see the usual buzz CC phrases here as well.

So, did we ever discover why the strange title for Workforce? I didn’t see a ‘smoking fire’, did you? Well, while we won’t find what the 3 One means from above, there’s a WF 3 One You Tube channel, full of all kinds of information. Here’s one way the ‘ease of use’ for job seeker and employer are sold..all with no mention or hint of Common Core.

As always, have a lead, tip, hint or suggestion, leave a comment (as long as it is civil).

Happy Monday, my anti CCSS Warriors! Fighting against the illegal, inappropriate, and downright WRONG that CCSS is, day in and day out, can leave us weary. Warriors need care and feeding to remain strong. Today’s Musings is an update ‘recipe’ of what I envision would be appropriate to keep us firm, fit, and faithful to our cause of fighting the CCSS Machine! So, let’s get our ‘kitchen’ ready! Have a great day out there!!

From 2014, the Original Recipe (published 9/15/2014):
Earlier this year, I was feeling a bit creative when faced with the challenge of a way to get a message across to those I help lead via a small grassroots group devoted to preserving the integrity and excellence in education. I’m the type of person who likes the slightly off-beat ways of making an impact. So, I’m sharing with you my “Recipe for a Common Core Warrior”. As with any recipe, make it your own and SHARE it.

Ingredients

1 ounce of sense (anything but ‘common’)

2 ounces of truth

1 dash of clarity

2 hands (for typing, writing)

As many fellow CC warriors as you can find

Optional & for a bit of added flavor: affirmation

New ingredients to add (2015’s update)

7 doses of longevity

Well timed media outreaches (op-eds, social media, etc.)

Assorted anti CC rallies, national phone calls

Directions

Using the sense, truth, and clarity, mix well. Spread this among the fellow warriors. Use your 2 hands as often as possible to seek out resources, pitch in and help others, unite together to protect our students, and take back our Constitutionally protected rights! Use your 7 doses of longevity weekly to help you plan out those media outreaches. Follow up with as many on-line or in-person group rallies or phone calls as you can. There’s safety in numbers, warriors!

Combine all of the above well, ‘bake’ until everyone is ready to ‘dish’. Serve immediately. Repeat as often as needed.

Alone is ok, but why?

How many of us have been waging war against Common Core in all its forms? The answer, untold numbers. Are most of us fighting it alone? Answer: NO. Yet, answer this, how many times do we FEEL alone in this war? If you’re like me, the answer is plenty of times. After all, this is what I am supposed to be doing in my ‘spare time’. However, when you add my contributions to yours, then we add ours to others, look how FAR we’ve come!! ‘WE’, in this fight, is so much more of a presence than ‘I’. How can you help a fellow CC warrior continue to ‘duke it out’? Support each other, attend as many events TOGETHER as possible.

The ones I’ve met so far

When I starting researching the push for national standards, (2009) almost no one I knew was there to pitch in. I had a few willing to listen. Fast forward to 2014 and I’ve not only met many willing to pitch in, but many standing shoulder to shoulder with me. Of all the crap Common Core has stirred up, I’m thankful and grateful for the fine, level headed people I’ve met who are not afraid to be uncomfortable in this fight. People like Nicole, Andrea, Kim, Missy, Dave, Guy, Laurie, Lindalyn, and the list goes on. These folks have devoted so much of themselves to helping get the truth about Common Core into the hands and minds of others. Since the original article, I’ve met many MORE fine, level headed anti CC Warriors! Our group grows daily. Thank you!!!

Thank you for helping fight Common Core!

Are we there yet?

In a word, ‘no’, we’re not. However, as long as we are there to continue to hammer away at the lies, work arm in arm with each other. WE can get there! We know our purpose: ridding our country of a nightmare that not only kills a love of learning, but harbors deeper, uglier roots. I leave you today with a link to a video that, I hope, will remind you who we’re fighting for (all students). It features Whitney Neal, who at the time was with Freedom Works.